Aging art colors restored with chemists' help
HARTFORD, Conn. -— When white masquerades as yellow and green might actually be blue, a call goes out to Henry DePhillips.
DePhillips, a Trinity College chemistry professor, is among a cadre of specialists using cutting-edge science to solve the color mysteries of paintings and other cultural treasures often several centuries old.
Art collectors and museums...increasingly are turning to DePhillips and other experts to analyze artwork that has deteriorated over time.
With tiny samples invisible to the naked eye, they use special microscopes and other equipment to sleuth out the compounds that comprise the color pigments and materials.
The result: a glimpse into the long-ago artist's materials and methods, and a road map to preserve or restore the piece as close to its original state as possible.
Read entire article at AP
DePhillips, a Trinity College chemistry professor, is among a cadre of specialists using cutting-edge science to solve the color mysteries of paintings and other cultural treasures often several centuries old.
Art collectors and museums...increasingly are turning to DePhillips and other experts to analyze artwork that has deteriorated over time.
With tiny samples invisible to the naked eye, they use special microscopes and other equipment to sleuth out the compounds that comprise the color pigments and materials.
The result: a glimpse into the long-ago artist's materials and methods, and a road map to preserve or restore the piece as close to its original state as possible.